Can hopper



Sept. 8, 1931. w. E. BURNS 1,822,336

CAN HOPPER Filed Oct. 16. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 22 l l lLFfiEDE. BUR/V5 ATTORNEY W. E. BURNS CAN HOPPER Sept. 8, 1931.

Filed Oct. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M1. F/FED 5, 5mm

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1931 r UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca 'WILFREDE. BURNS OF BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO M. J. B. 00., OF SANFRANCISCO CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION can norrnn Application filed October16, 1929. Serial No. 399,983.

This invention relates to improvements in can storage and feed hoppersand it has reference in particular to hoppers designed for use in a lineof can making'machinery and which also are of a type of constructionclesigned to accommodate a progressive stop system with full automaticcontrol, I

Explanatory to the invention it will here be stated that in a line ofcan making ma- 1 chinery there are several difierent machines employed,each for doing a certain specific part of the work. For instance, theline may employ a body forming machine which-forms the can bodies fromthe fiat tin blanks, a fianger which flanges the ends of the bodiespreparatory to receivingthe ends, a seamer which applies the ends andseams them to the body flanges and a tester which tests the finishedcans for leaks; it is to be understood of course that other and moremachines may be employed in the line. 1 r I These several machines inthe line are connected by conveyers by means of which the cans areadvanced progressively from'one machine to the next and, as a rule,anoperator is stationedat each machine to watch the operation and tostop the delivery of cans thereto in the event that a j am should occur.With the usual conveyer connection for carrying the cans from onemachine to the next in line, difiiculty often arises due to the factthat, should it become necessary or desirable to temporarily shut oil?the delivery of cans to any one of the machines, there will be a pilingup of the cans in the conveyerleading to that machineand this is apt toresult in a serious jam and consequent damage to the cans with aresultant loss 'oftime "for'clearing.

4 The whether receiving cans or not,is to eliminate spoilage as much aspossible, toincrease pro} duction and to prevent crowding ofthe conveyerrunways. I body machine if it should be stopped with cans directly overthe solder station. "Likewise, spoilage would occur in the tester ifcans were retained in the testingposition'. There are also variousotheru'easors quite desirability for keepingthe various machinesthroughout the line in mot on,

Spoilage would occur in the well known to those familiar with the canmaking industry why it is desirable to keep all machines running and fornot depending on an operator 'to start and to stop the machines at theproper times. t

In view of the above, it has been the object of this invention toprovide can hoppers of novel construction that may be placed in the canline wherever needed, each for receiving the cans from the nextpreceding machine and for a controlled delivery of cans to the followingmachine; each hopper being designed to serve as a storage reservoir forcans accumulating during any intervalthat the machine which it suppliesmay be temporarily shut ofl or the feeding of cans thereto be stopped.for any reason. It is also an object to equip the hoppers with meansoperable in cident to the. accumulation of a predetermined number ofcans therein to automatically shut off the source of supply.

More specifically stated, the invention resices in the provision ofahopper to be included ina can line, to receive cans from one machinefor delivery to the next machine and wherein there is a novelarrangement of moving belts whereby the can bodies are ad vancedto adischarge outlet and whereby the cans, accumulated in the hopper byreason of the outlet being temporarily closed, will be carried back as ameans of preventing clogging or congestion occurring that mightinterfere with a ready delivery when the outlet was again opened. i I

The invention further resides in the provision of an automatic stopdevice within the hopper, operable by weight of can bodies thereon, toopen an electric circuit to stop the delivery of cans from the source ofsupply.

Otherobjects reside'in thevarious details of construction and in thecombination of parts and in their mode of operation as will hereinafterbe described.

In accomplishing'these objects I have provided the improved'detailsofconstruction the preferred forms of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a side elevation of a hopperembodied. by the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the automaticstop device.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the star wheel and stop lever. v

Fig. 5 is an end view of the hopper.

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a. view diagrammatically illustrating an alternativearrangement.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings 1designates in its entirety, a storage and feed hopper embodied by thepresent invention and comprising opposite side walls 2 and 3 supportedvertically and in parallel relation by plurality of connecting rods 4and supporting bars 4a which have ends fixed to one of the plates andtheir opposite ends slidably and adjustably connected with the otherplate in order to permit of an adjust ment of the spacing of the platesto accommodate can bodies of different lengths.

At the receiving end of the hopper, the can bodies, designated byreference numeral 5, are delivered onto a downwardly inclined end plate6 down which they slide or roll onto the top run of a feed belt 7 whichextends forwardly toward the opposite end of the hopper in a downwardlyinclined manner. This belt is drawn taut about driving and supportingpulleys 8 and 9 and it is driven in a direction which carries the bodiesforwardly for delivery from the belt into a discharge chute 10 whichleads downwardly from the hopper at a point adjacent the forward beltpulley.

It will be here stated that in some instances, it may be desirable toequip the hopper with a plurality of outlets and. in this event. thearrangement. as in Fig. 7 might be employed. In this particulararrangement, the cans pass from the plate 6 directly into a dischargechute 100. When this is filled, by reason of the outlet being closed.the cans pass from the plate 6 onto the belt 7a and are carriedforwardly into a second chute 105. hen this latter chute becomes filledthe cans are delivered by the belt 77) to the forward discharge chute100. However, since the op eration of this alternative construction issubstantially identical to the device as shown in Fig. 2. it will not bedescribed in detail.

Cans passing from the belt 7 Fig. 2, into the discharge chute 1Osuccessively engage with the upwardly projecting arms 11a bf 21' starwheel 11; each can rotating the wheel through a definite are. This wheelis mounted rotatably by a shaft 12 supported atits ends in bearings 13that are fixed in a framework 14 suspended from the discharge chute.Mounted within this frame and below the wheel, is a stop lever 15pivotally supported at one end by a cross pin 16 and disposed with itsother end upon the upper end of a core bar 17 of a solenoid 18 whichoperates, when energized, to lift the bar 17 to thereby raise the leverto a position at which a shoulder or stop 19 thereon engages with an armof the star wheel to prevent rotation of the latter and to thereby stopthe outflow of can bodies from the hopper. The electric circuit for thesolenoid, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2, may consist of a battery20 and circuit wires 21 and 22. This circuit is under control of aswitch 23 interposed in the circuit wire 22, and the switch preferablywould be located closely adjacent the machine which the discharge chutesupplies so that, in the event that it should be necessary or desirableto shut off the feeding of cans to the machine, it is convenientlyaccessible to the operator for this purpose.

Leading upwardly from just back of the discharge chute 10, is a belt 25operating about pulleys 26 and 27. Parallel with this belt but forwardlythereof, is another belt 28 operating about pulleys 29 and 30. These twobelts 25 and 28, are so driven that their adjacentportions travelupwardly and they are so spaced apart that can bodies may be heldbetween them and carried upwardly thereby. The guideway or passage 32formed between these two belts terminates within the hopper just below aforwardly directed can guide wall 33, and the can bodies that arecarried upwardly by the belts are caused tobe deflected forwardly bythis guide and delivered onto a forwardly and downwardly inclined wall84 on which they will roll toward the forward end of the hopper. A plateoverlies the can path in parallel, spaced relation above the belt 7, andleads up to the entrance above the feed chute 10 so that the cansdelivered onto the belt 7 will not be permitted to stack up below thewall 34 and thus interrupt flow or movement to the discharge chute.There is also provided a revolubly driven roller 36 at the forward endof the plates 34 and 35 which is re-volubly driven in the direction ofthe arrow thereon to prevent congestion at this point when cans arestacked up in the hopper.

The various belts 7 25 and 28 and the roller 36 may be driven in anysuitable manner in the directions indicated by the arrows placed thereonor adjacent thereto, as in Fig. 2. In Fig. 1 I have shown the supportingand driving shaft 942. of pulley 9 as being equipped at one end with asprocket wheel 38 over which a driving chain belt 39 extends, and a belt40 extends about wheels or pulleys 41. 42, 43 and 44 that are fixedrespectively on the supporting shafts 9a, 26a, 29a, and 3611/ of thebelt wheels 9, 26, 29 and 36. An idler pulley 45 is mounted on the sideplate of the hopper to bear against the belt 40 to kcer it taut and inoperative engagement with the wheel 29a. It is to be understood of IOUcourse, that any other suitable driving connection could be employed solong as the belts were driven in the proper direction and at therequired speeds. V

The present hopper mechanism is placed in the can line to receive thecans from any one of the machines. This might be the flanger or it mightbe the body machine, not

switch in the control circuit operable by Weight of cans within thehopper. The switch device consists of a switch lever' 61 that is fixedto the outer'end of a cross shaft 62 mounted rotatably in the plane ofthe plate 34; the end of the lever 61 beingadapted to swing betweenspaced contacts 63 and 64: mounted in an insulated bracket 65 fastenedto the outer side wall 2 of the hopper. A weight 66 on the levernormally holds it down against the contact or stop 63. Also fixed to theshaft 62 within the hopper, is an arm 67 see Fig. 2, which extendsdownwardly along the surface of the plate 34 and which, normally,projects slightly above the surface of the plate so that the cansdelivered from between the upper ends of the belts 25 and 28 may rolldownwardly and across the lever. The circuit wires are connected to thelever 61 and contact 64 so that the circuit to the stop device whichcontrols the starting and stopping of the supply machine will be open solong as the lever 61 rests against the contact 63 but will be closedwhen it moves up against the contact 64; closing of the cir cuit in thisinstance, causing a certain operation to take place which will effectthe stopping'of the machine supplying the hopper.

With the parts of the hopper so constructed and arranged, it is quiteapparent that cans delivered into the hopper will pass down the inclinedwall 6 and onto the forwardly driven top run of the belt 7 and will bedelivered thereby into the discharge chute 10, and in passing throughthe chute will engage with the arms of the star wheel 11 and cause thelatter to rotate. Should it be desired at any time to stop'the deliveryof cans to the machine served by the hopper the operator simply closesthe switch 23 and this causes the solenoid 18 to be energized and thestop lever to be raised upwardly to a position for stopping the wheel tothereby stop delivery of cans through the chute 10. The cans carriedforwardly'by the belt 7 in the hopper will then be'carired from the endof the belt upwardly between the two moving belts- 25 and 28 and will bedelivered onto the plate 34 and forwardly within the hopper. As the cansupply within the hopper accumulates, and when sufficient weight isplaced thereby on the lever arm 67, it will be swung downwardly, therebylifting the weighted lever arm 61 from. the contact 63 against thecontact 64.- and will thereby close the control circuit to actuate thestop devicewhich stops the supply machine and thus check any furtherdelivery: of cans to the hopper. On again releasing the star wheel, thedelivery of cans through the chute 10 will be resumed and finally thehopper will be cleared so that weightis removed from the lever 67' andthe lever 61 will be permitted to drop from the contact 6-1 to open thecontrol circuit to again start the supply machine. The belt 7 operates,in this instance, to feed the cans toward the chute 10 and the belts 25and 28 and roller 36 operate to eifect a circulation that keeps theoutlet cleared and prevents the hopper from being clogged or the canbodies from becoming wedged within the hopper.

The special advantages to be gained by use of a hopper of this characterare: The provision of a reservoir for storage of excess cans thataccumulate by reason of. the machine served being temporarily stopped orthe flow of cans thereto being stopped; the provision of a system ofmoving belts. within the hopper whereby the cans are positivelydelivered to the outlet and whereby a circulation is maintained that,keeps the hopper free of jams and congestion; the provision of a hopperthat is adjustable to accommodate cans of different size; the provisionof a remotecontrol whereby outflow may be checked or started as desired;the provision of an automatic stop switch for the control circuit of thesupply machine, to start and to stop the latter in accordance withthesupply of cans within the hopper.

It is quite apparent that can-hoppers of this character may be made toaccommodate one or more'discharge chutes and it, is apparentalso thatthe hopper may be used in connection wit-h various machines of the canline. Hoppers of the present character might well beused for variousother purposes, such as the delivery of filled cans to labelingmachines, or the'like, and it is not intended that it be limited to anyone use in particular.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a hopper of the character described having a discharge outlet, aconveyeropen able within the hopper to feed cans to the said outlet, andother means operable to receive the overflow cans when flow through theoutlet is checked and to return them for storage in the hopper andsubsequent deivery by the conveyer to the discharge outet. i

2. 1n hop aer of the character described having a discharge chuteleading therefrom, conveyor operable along the base of the hopper tofeeding cans to the discharge chute, a A late fixed within the hopper ina forwardly inclined position and conveyor devices ope able to take upcans from the end of the first conveyor when the discharge chute filledand to deliver these cans onto the inclined plate for return thereonforwardly within the hopper and again to the conveyor.

In a hopper of the character described li-aviim a discharge chuteleading therefrom $3 one end, a conveyor operating along the base of thehopper and on which cans are delvcre'd to the said discharge chute, aplate overlying the belt and forming a can passage leading up to thedischarge end of the convcyer belt, a second plate fixed in the hopperin a forwardly inclined position and conmcans operable to take up cansfrom the end at the feed belt when the discharge is filled and todeliver these cans upwardly and onto the said inclined plate fordelivery by the plate forwardly within the hopper and again to the feedbelt.

In hopper of the character described having an outlet and means operableto stop the outflow through said outlet, a belt operating to delivercans received within the hop to said outlet and means for transferringthe overflow cans away from the outl when the latter is closed and fordeliverii them to a storage position for gravity dew again to tne belt.

5. A iopper of the character described adapted to receive cans at oneend and having an outlet at the other end, means for stopping outflo vof cans through the outlet, a col yer belt operating in the hopper forfeeding cans received thereon at one end to the 1 outlet and beltsoperating to carry the cans from the delivery end of the feed when theoutlet is closed, upwardly then lly within the hopper for storage anduent delivery by the belt to the outlet.

6'. i hopper having a discharge chute at w end, a conveyor beltoperating along the of the hopper to feed cans to the said disrgc chute,means for stopping outflow of s tl'n'ough the discharge chute and a pairbelts operating in parallel relation to take up the cans from the feedbelt, when the discharge chute is closed, and to carry them away fromthe chute upwardly and to deliver them forwardly within the hopper.

*5. A hopper of the character described adapted to receive cansthereinto at one end, and having a discharge chute leading from oppositeend, means in the chute for checking outflow therethrough, a conveyerbelt operating within the base of the hopper to deliver the can bodiesreceived by the hopper to said discharge chute, a pair of upwardlymoving conveyor belts forming a means for checking outflow through thechute, a conveyer belt operable in the hopper to deliver cans to thedischarge chute, means operable to take up the overflow of cans from thechutewhcn the latter is closed and to deliver the cans into a storageposition in the hopper away irom the outlet and a control device for thecan supplying machine operable under weight of the overflow to stop thesupply machine.

9. A hopper of the character described adapted to receive cans at oneend from a supplying machine, a discharge chute lead ing from theopposite end of the hopper, a conveyor belt operating along the base ofthe hopper to deliver the cans to the chute,

means in the chute for checking the outflow, a remote control for saidmeans, a pair of u awardly directed, parallel belts operable to receivethe overflow of cans from the chute when the latter is closed to deliverthem upwardly in the hopper, an inclined plate in the hopper forreceiving the cans from said belts, a control switch for the supplymachine, a shaft for actuating said switch, X- tended Within the hopper,and a lever lined to said shaft and operable by weight of cans thereondelivered across said plate to actuate the switch to stop the supplymachine.

10'. A hopper of the character described having a discharge outlet,means within the hopper for feeding cans to the outlet and means fordiverting cans from the outlet, when delivery tl'ierethrough is checked,to storage in the hopper for subsequent delivery to the outlet.

Signed at San Francisco, California, this 31st day of July, 1929.

WILFRED E. BURNS.

